Amazon’s Bizarre Contract Clause in the Face of a Zombie Apocalypse

Do you read the small print in contracts?

What is Amazon’s clause 42.10 about?

Are we facing the end of civilization as we know it?

When talking about the end of the world, a zombie apocalypse is one of the possible causes that have been a source of inspiration for many movies, books, and series.

Although it may seem a fantastic event, full of imagination and, alluding to reality, completely impossible, Amazon considers that it could happen.

The American company has integrated a clause into the terms of use of its subsidiary Amazon Web Services (AWS) service, which has caught the attention of many and has gone viral.

A few years ago, Amazon announced the launch of Lumberyard, its engine for the development and execution of video games.

The company explains that it cannot use Lumberyard in life-critical or safety-critical systems such as “medical equipment, automated transportation systems or autonomous vehicles.”

Similarly, its video game engine is prohibited from using “aircraft or air traffic control, nuclear facilities, human-crewed spacecraft or military use.”

A clause of this legal document alludes to the prohibitions and exceptions to using its engine if the dead come back to life.

What is Amazon’s clause 42.10?

The complete document includes 64 pages in which the conditions for using all the services offered by its subsidiary, Amazon Web Services, are established.

These services include, among others, databases, server storage space, payment gateways, and engines for the development and execution of online video games.

Specifically, clause 42.10 prohibits Lumberyard from being used in life or safety-critical systems, such as “use in the operation of medical staff, automated transport systems, independent vehicles, aircraft or air traffic control, nuclear facilities, human-crewed spacecraft, or military use in connection with live combat.”

At the same time, the exceptions to these restrictions are detailed: “shall not apply in the event of the occurrence (certified by the United States Centers for Disease Control or its successor agency) of a widespread viral infection,” it states.

That said, the company specifies that the widespread viral infection must be transmitted through nibbles or contact with body fluids and must cause “human cadavers to revive an attempt to consume living human flesh, blood, brain or nerve tissue,” they explain, referring to a zombie invasion, because of the threat posed by it is “likely to lead to the fall of organized civilization.”

That means that if at some point humanity has to face the attack of a battalion of the living dead, we could use the Lumberyard engine to develop as if it were a video game, some application or tool to kill them.

If so, its use would comply “with the AWS Acceptable Use Policy.”

Although this clause has existed since 2016, its renewal has caused a revolution in networks for those not yet aware of it.

Among all those who have shared their disbelief, the idea that it is possibly a publicity stunt or simply a joking wink to win the collaboration of its workers has become widespread.

Whatever it is, what is certain is that they are prepared for an end of times conquered by the living dead.

What is Lumberyard?

Amazon Lumberyard is a free, cross-platform 3D video game engine that enables you to create high-quality games, connect games to the storage and compute capacity of the AWSNube, and engage fans on Twitch.

It provides everything you would expect from a professional game developer, such as a full-featured editor, native code performance, and exceptional graphics.

In addition, it includes networking, cinematics, Animation Editor, canvas editor scripting, and audio tools.

Lumberyard’s graphics technology can bring to life any virtual, high-quality environment, such as physics-based shaders, dynamic global illumination, particle effects, realistic vegetation, real-time dynamic caustics for water and volumetric fog, cinematic features such as color grading, motion blur, depth of field and integrated HDR lens flares.

Designers can create believable, high-fidelity characters, combining animation, props, and physical property simulations with blended shape, blended space, and animation layers.

Manage connectivity with GridMate, a bandwidth-efficient design for low-latency communications. Real-time game editing is available, among other things.

The Lumberyard user guide is available at this link.

Sources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLOWBcuacbM

https://www.lavanguardia.com